Assessment Committee Bylaws | Arkansas Tech University

Assessment Committee Bylaws

Arkansas Tech University Ozark Campus

Function: The Assessment Committee will

Coordinate and monitor the academic assessment plan for the Ozark Campus
Collaborate with the Chief Academic Officer
Develop appropriate faculty development activities as it relates to program and student assessment

Purpose:

Develop, coordinate, and monitor academic assessment activities as it relates to the improvement of student learning

Members: In keeping with the mission of the Ozark Campus, members are defined in the faculty handbook.

Boundaries & Chain of Command: In collaboration with the chief academic officer, assessment of those current programs (credit and noncredit classes) at the Ozark Campus. Members act in an advisory role for faculty and staff concerning assessment matters.

Assessment Calendar: The assessment committee will meet on a regular basis with one annual meeting to set an agenda for the year, and then meeting at least once per semester, or more often as needed. The minutes for the meeting sent to the public relations office to be posted to the schools web site, with a copy forwarded to the chief academic officer, and the assessment chairman.

Process Regulations: Setting, measuring, and reviewing assessment outcomes. The assessment committee appreciates that effective assessment can take a variety of forms and involve a variety of processes. However, faculty members, with meaningful input from students and strong support from the administration and governing board, should have the fundamental role in developing and sustaining systematic assessment of student learning. Their assessment strategy should be informed by the organization’s mission and include explicit public statements regarding the knowledge, skills, and competencies students should possess as a result of completing course and program requirements; it also should document the values, attitudes, and behaviors faculty expect students to have developed. Moreover, while strong assessment should provide data that satisfy any externally mandated accountability requirements, its effectiveness in improving student learning relies on its integration into the organization’s processes for program review, departmental and organization planning, and unit and organizational budgeting. The organization’s commitment to and capacity for effective assessment of student learning will figure more prominently than ever in the accreditation procedure.